POTTSVILLE — The crowd at John Needam Stadium definitely got their money’s worth as the Apaches and Mena Bearcats scored a combined 111 points in Friday night’s 4-4A Conference clash. Pottsville continued to stay undefeated as it beat the visiting Bearcats 69-42 in a wild shootout.

“We scored a lot of points tonight and beat a tough Mena team, and we’re happy we got a win,” Apaches Head Coach Bryan Rust said. “But we did not play our best game of the year. We had a lot of missed tackles and too many penalties. But we are glad to get a win, and we now have to get ready for Clarksville.”

It was like fast break basketball with both teams going up and down the field. After Mena’s (4-4, 2-3 4A-4 Conference) first drive stalled on the Apache 27, Pottsville (7-0-1, 5-0) needed only five plays to cover 73 yards, as Quwillien Porter scored on a 12-yard touchdown with 7:23 to go in the first quarter to give the Apaches a 6-0 lead.

Mena answered by going 67 yards in six plays in just over a minute and a half. The Bearcats scored when Austin Warren connected with Malachi McGee on a 43-yard touchdown pass. Jackson Riley added the PAT, and Mena led 7-6.

The Apaches regained the lead when Porter capped a two-play drive that covered 51 yards in just 24 seconds. Michael Perry converted the 2-point conversion attempt, and Pottsville went up 14-7.

Not to be outdone, Mena started at its 33 and in one play, Warren found John Ballentine for a 67-yard TD pass. The PAT knotted the score 14-14 with 4:56 remaining in the first quarter.

Porter scored from one yard out, and the PAT gave the Apaches a 21-14 lead they would not relinquish.

The Bearcats appeared to be driving again when Dalton Ragland recovered a Mena fumble at the Pottsville 16. After getting a first down at the Apache 35, Perry took the ball around left end for a 65-yard scamper to the end zone. Torres’ PAT increased the lead to 28-14 at the end of the first quarter.

After forcing the Bearcats to turn the ball over on downs, Pottsville took over at the Mena 40. This time, junior fullback Corey Campbell scored on a 13-yard blast up the middle. Torres missed the PAT, leaving the score 34-14.

The Bearcats went to their running game on their next possession and went 77 yards in eight plays, six of them runs, to set up Warren’s touchdown pass to McGee. Riley’s PAT made the score 34-21. With a minute left in the second quarter, Porter scored again for the Apaches on a 13-yard run. Campbell’s 2-point conversion run gave Pottsville a 42-21 lead at the half.

The Apaches opened the third quarter with a good drive, until a Mena defender stripped the ball from Perry and recovered at the Bearcat 5. Mena then put together a 19-play, 95-yard drive that ended when Warren found William Hooper in the end zone for the touchdown. The PAT closed the gap to 42-28.

Porter answered the Bearcat score when he scooted 58 yards for a touchdown. Torres hit this PAT, and Pottsville took a 49-28 lead.

The Bearcats looked to score again, but Ragland stepped in front of the Mena pass at the goal line and returned it to the Bearcat 23. From there, Porter scored again to extend the Apache lead to 56-28.

The Bearcats refused to quit and went on a 51-yard scoring drive that ended when Benjamin Graves crossed the goal line from 5 yards out, cutting Pottsville’s lead to 56-35.

Porter scored his sixth touchdown of the game on a 24-yard run, and Torres’ PAT made it 63-35. The Apaches scored their final touchdown when sophmore Cameron Waldee got into the end zone after a 4-yard run. Mena scored with less than two minutes left in the fourth quarter to set the final score at 69-42.

Pottsville will travel to Clarksville next week.

Pottsville JH 29, Mena 6

MENA — The Pottsville Junior Apaches took advantage of some Junior Bearcats mistakes Thursday and won a 4A-4 Conference road game at Mena 29-6.

Taylor Waddell got Pottsville (5-2-1, 3-2 4A-4) energized early with an 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown on the opening kick to give the Junior Apaches a 6-0 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, Pottsville surprised the Junior Bearcats with an onside kick that Cole McKown recovered at the 49. The Junior Apaches went 51 yards on five plays and Austin Moore scored on a 7-yard run to make it 12-0 Pottsville before the Mena offense saw the field.

The Junior Apaches looked like they were going to punch it in again, but turned it over on downs on the Junior Bearcats 6. Two plays later, Tyler Waddell dropped the Mena ball carrier in the end zone for a safety and a 14-0 lead. That score held until halftime.

Mena finally got on the board in the third quarter on a reverse pass, but that was all they got in the game.

Pottsville scored twice in the fourth quarter. Moore scored on a 2-yard run and converted the 2-point conversion to make it 22-6.

Logan Hunt intercepted a Junior Bearcats pass at the Junior Apache 7 on the ensuing drive, and Pottsville went 93 yards in 4 plays for a score. Taylor Waddell hit Ty Whitten for 46 yards to set up a 40-yard TD run by Tyler Waddell. Alonso Torres made it 29-6 with the point-after kick.

Whitten sealed the win with an interception on the first play of the ensuing drive.